Actor, writer, cook and author

A parachute drop at noon in homage to another at midnight…

They came down out of a brilliant blue sky in almost perfect order–lining up to land within feet of each other–on an isolated hilltop north of Brassac in the alpine part of our department–the Tarn.

They were greeted by a group of Resistance re-enacters–young men and women in authentic wartime garb and equipment, who hurried forward to help gather up the parachutes–as actually occured in 1944 by moonlight.

The jumpers–a Frenchman and five Americans flown in expressly for the occasion–all Special Forces–played the game and patted their greeters warmly on the back–relieved to see a friendly face after their hazardous flight into occupied France from the American base in Algeria!

The large crowd of onlookers, after readjusting their necks, showed their appreciation with applause and whistles.

Speeches were made and thanks given.

We all sang or hummed La Marseillaise and the Star Spangled Banner and a thousand photographs were taken.

It was a memorable moment–and a fitting tribute to an act of derring-do, 75 years ago.

On August 6th, 1944 a US Special Forces team (OSS–Office of Strategic Services, precursor of the CIA) consisting of 15 men parachuted onto this same dropzone around midnight. One broke his leg in the low altitude drop and was spirited away by the maquis de Vabre to a safe house where he was hidden and received treatment.

Two of the remaining fourteen were shot dead five days later by a German patrol they had ambushed.

Robert Spaur, on the left, was one the two who lost his life on a remote and heavily wooded French hillside. His PAT comrades in this photo survived.

Twelve remained to fulfill their mission, which was to work with the local Resistance and prevent the Nazi occupying forces from sending reinforcements to fight the Allies after the Southern D-Day landings on August 15th, close to St Tropez.

Their perilous task was a success. They blew up a key strategic train bridge. Our local town Castres was liberated fourteen days after their landing. The Nazi occupying force–4,500 troops–surrendered. The Allied landings in Provence went ahead smoothly and the end of the war moved closer.

We followed the OSS men’s route from the dropzone back down into Brassac–in our case to enjoy an impeccably-cooked traditional lunch at a local restaurant of salade de gesiers and Joue de boeuf aux carrottes et vin rouge.

It kept us in the bubble of history for a little while longer, savouring not only the food and company–but the whole remarkable and sobering story of OG Pat*.

It’s almost impossible to put into words the gratitude and love I feel for these brave men and women who were ready to sacrifice their lives to to stop the evil killing machine. I will ever be greatful. Thank you also Robin for letting us sharing with us.

Wonderful article about history that is not as well known as the landing in Normandy… Thank you for posting this… The co-founder of the Green Berets, Colonel Aaron Bank, also led a similar OSS team as Captain in the France… It was very dangerous work, you could be stopped anytime by German roadblocks or patrols and shot on the spot… After the liberation of France CPT Bank was tasked with forming a team of german-speaking POWs who would parachute into southern Germany to assassinate Hitler… That mission was scrubbed as the war was nearing its’ end, so CPT Bank was reassigned to SE Asia, where just after the atomic bombs were dropped he went on a car trip with Ho Chi Minh to try to locate any shot down aircrews that were still missing in action…! Strange but true… He later served in the Korean war, and shortly thereafter helped found the US Army Special Forces (sans green berets, they came a little later)… He organized and trained the first authorized Special Forces Group at Bad Tolz, West Germany, and called it the 10th Special Forces Group, even though it was the first and only one at that time, to confuse the Soviets into thinking there were nine more of them…! I later served in the 5th Special Forces Group in Vietnam, attached to the MACV-SOG C&C program, inserting 8 to 10 man recon teams into Laos, Cambodia and even north Vietnam to observe and disrupt the Ho Chi Minh Trail… I served with Master Sergeants and Sergeant-Majors who earlier had served in the WW II Parachute Infantry Regiments, Korean rangers units, and then several tours in the 5th SFG in Vietnam… The most amazing soldiers I ever met in the Army… All of this amazing soldiering can be traced back to these OSS teams… RIP gentlemen…! Dai-uy (Vietnamese for Captain) Matt Beyeler

Meredith writing here: Thank you for your comment. You may have known the Captain of the OSS team who was here in the Tarn. His name was Conrad LaGueux and he finished as Deputy Station Chief for the CIA in Saigon. He was charged with organizing the helipads atop his own building and the Embassy, and he was in charge of the evacuation of Americans and those who had supported them in Vietnam. Also present at the ceremony this past weekend was Dan Carbognin who served in Special Forces in Vietnam. Perhaps you knew him.

Thank you Robin for your recount of this really interesting piece of history. Such brave and remarkable people. Here in Australia we have had a great deal of media coverage and recounts of the D Day Landing iwhich included well over three thousand Australian troops .

So grateful that you shared these phenomenal stories of bravery. You do us all an important service by keeping these courageous men’s fight for our freedom alive. Thank you for taking the time to write this. xors

My Great Uncle Carl Schreiner ( awarded multiple Bronze Stars for his service in the USA Army) was among the men that stormed Utah beach at Normandy. He has long passed but I always thank of him this day of the year.

Lest we forget. My dad was part of that generation and my uncle – the only one I would have had if he had survived – was a pilot who died in 1945. We need to keep remembering, even when all the veterans have gone.

Thank you Robin for this account. My father was a Dunkirk veteran and we remember all of these men. I also visited Monet’s garden in the town of Giverny and there is a monument to British air men along with an upstanding propeller. The inscription is “to those young airmen who gave us their lives so that we might be free” it brought tears. Also visiting the American cemetery in 2014 and the Juno beaches expanses of graves of young men. Living now in Australia we are so fortunate something I think about most days. Thank you again for this post Barbara Taylor

Thanks so much for your wonderful work on this project. Last night, I watched William Wyler’s footage, now on HBO, called The Cold Blue,
dreamt of our beautiful young soldiers all night, and woke up to this story this morning. Have already had a good cry and only on second cup of coffee. The US is in deep trouble now, as you know, and it is good to remember who we once were. May we find ourselves again. Best to you all, hope you and your cats are well.